Cinnamon Swirl Bread

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook or in a large bowl (if mixing by hand) combine warm water, 1 tsp sugar and yeast and let sit until foamy (about 5 minutes).

Add milk, sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract and stir to combine.

Add 2 cups of flour, sea salt and cinnamon and stir until incorporated. Then add more flour ¼ cup at a time until a smooth but slightly tacky dough ball forms.

Form the dough into a ball and place it into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour).*

While the dough is rising, make the cinnamon swirl. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Then melt the butter and set aside (It will be brushed on the dough later).

Alternately, you can combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout). Set aside.

Line a 9x5” loaf pan with parchment paper and grease with butter. Set aside.

After the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place on a well-floured surface.

Roll the dough into an 18x 9” rectangle about ¼” thick. Use your loaf pan to measure the 9” side, it needs to fit into the pan when rolled.

Brush the melted butter over the dough and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of it. (Or, if you combined all 3 ingredients initially, spread that mixture evenly over the dough).

Staring at one end of the rectangle, roll the dough tightly widthwise (so the roll is 9” long not 18” long). Then transfer the dough to the prepared loaf pan seam down.

Cover the pan with a damp towel and let rise while you preheat the oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is brown and the loaf sounds hollow when hit with a wooden spoon.

Check the bread after 20 minutes and cover with aluminum foil if the top is getting too brown.

Remove the cinnamon swirl bread from the oven. Cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes on a wire rack. Then, run a metal spatula or knife around the edges to release the bread from the pan, and transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cool completely before cutting and serving.